HARNESS RACING

HARNESS RACING; From Snapping Shutter To Snapping the Reins

By ALEX YANNIS

Published: August 1, 2001

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., July 31—
After looking at the Hambletonian through the lens of his camera for 20 about years, Stefan Melander of Sweden hopes to be the focus of attention in the Meadowlands winner's circle in Saturday's 76th edition of the race.

A great number of horsemen fancy the chances of the 42-year-old Melander making it to the winner's circle as the driver in the most prestigious event in harness racing. Scarlet Knight, the horse Melander drives, trains and owns, was made the morning-line favorite in today's post-position draw for the $1 million Hambletonian.

A victory by Scarlet Knight on Saturday will make Melander the first man to own, train and drive a winner in the Hambletonian since Stanley Dancer did it in 1975 with Bonefish.

Scarlet Knight was made the first choice at 2-1 after dominating his division in last Saturday's eliminations for the Hambletonian here at the Meadowlands. With Melander driving, Scarlet Knight captured his division by six lengths and his time of 1:541/5 was the fastest of the three eliminations to determine the 10 finalists.

Shortly after his elimination on Saturday, Melander was back in the winner's circle at the Meadowlands taking pictures of the other Hambletonian elimination winners and Breeders Crown events. He still takes pictures, but he has been more of a horseman than a photojournalist in recent years.

''I've been coming to the Hamletonian for so many years as a photographer and fan,'' said Melander, who grew up near Solvala Racetrack in Stockholm and began hanging around the stables. ''This is a dream for me to be in the race, to be a driver in the Hambletonian.''

Scarlet Knight's victory on Saturday was his eighth in eight starts this year. But it was the way he won that has rival drivers, trainers and owners saying that Scarlet Knight is the horse to beat.

Melander said before the draw that he wanted one of the positions in the middle in the field of 10. When Scarlet Knight drew the No. 4 post, Melander said, ''absolutely perfect.''

With advice from a number of expert horsemen, especially the well-known Soren Nordin, Melander has built a stable of about 70 horses since paying more attention to horses than cameras. He purchased Scarlet Knight for $17,000 in a yearling sale in Harrisburg, Pa., in November 1999, but he was unable to train him until two months later because of quarantine requirements.

''It took a long time before I got him to Sweden,'' Melander said of Scarlet Knight, a son of Pine Chip, who won only one of four starts as a 2-year-old. ''I thought it wouldn't be enough time to get him ready. Swedish trainers don't have enough time to prepare horses for the Hambletonian because of the long winter. It's nearly impossible for a Swedish-trained horse to make it.''

A victory for Scarlet Knight, who made his American debut in the elimination, will make Melander the first horseman to bring a United States-bred trotter trained and developed in Europe home to capture the coveted race. Two horses have tried before, the Italian-owned Top Hanover in 1971 (he finished sixth and eighth in the first two heats) and the Swedish-owned Easy Lover in 1995 (seventh in his elimination).

Pegasus Spur (post No. 6), who is trained by Charles Stillings and is driven by Bill O'Donnell, is the second early choice at 7-2, followed by Banker Hall at 9-2. Victory Sam is next at 6-1, with Cigar Barand the entry of Choco Chip Hanover and Yankee Mustang next at 8-1. Lavecster at 10-1, Amer I Can at 15-1 and Laredo Kosmos at 30-1 complete the field for the Hambletonian.

Cigar Bar, who will be driven by John Campbell, and Victory Sam, who will be driven by Jimmy Takter, were the winners of their eliminations.